Dalit girl murder accused Himachal MLA takes oath

Shimla : Accused of brutally murdering a dalit woman and recently elected Congress legislator Ram Kumar Chaudhary on Thursday took oath as MLA here in the Himachal Pradesh legislative assembly . He came from jail to take oath .

“Ram Kumar Chaudhary was administered oath as a legislator today at 11 : 15 am by speaker Brij Bihar Lal Butail ,” said Balbir Tegta , secretary of the Himachal legislative assembly said .

Chaudhary remained absconding for weeks after police launched a manhunt for him in connection with the murder of a 24 year old dalit woman who was found with her head smashed by a speeding lorry in Panchkula town on Nov 22.

A day before police announced Rs 200,000 bounty for his whereabouts Chaudhary finally surrendered in front of the Haryana police in Panchkula earlier this month . Three other men were also arrested .

On Dec 20 he was declared elected as MLA from the Doon constituency as a Congress member which came to power.

Since an elected MLA can take oath within sixty days of his election the court gave him permission to take oath .

Police brought him from an Ambala jail to Shimla and then took him back after the oath .

Chaudhary told reporters , “I am innocent and have been framed.”

Earlier this month a red-faced Congress had suspended him from the party .

“The party has zero tolerance to crimes against women,”said Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu , the state Congress president  said after suspending him from the party .